The study visit was successfully completed
Study visit of the ERASMUS+ BURN project of KSU teachers on the basis of the University of Latvia was successfully completed
From September 23 to 27, 2024, a study visit took place within the framework of the Erasmus+ BURN program project - "Boosting University Psychological Resilience and Wellbeing in (Post-) War Ukrainian Nation" ) on the basis of the University of Latvia in the city of Riga, Latvia. The project is aimed at spreading best practices in the field of psychological support of university communities affected by the war.
Study visit of the ERASMUS+ BURN project of KSU teachers on the basis of the University of Latvia was successfully completed
From September 23 to 27, 2024, a study visit took place within the framework of the Erasmus+ BURN program project - "Boosting University Psychological Resilience and Wellbeing in (Post-) War Ukrainian Nation" ) on the basis of the University of Latvia in the city of Riga, Latvia. The project is aimed at spreading best practices in the field of psychological support of university communities affected by the war.
During the visit, mental health specialists, teachers and representatives of Ukrainian universities had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Latvian approaches to the training of psychologists, strengthening mental health in schools, and intervention strategies in case of psychological trauma.
Kherson State University was presented at the meeting by Ruslana Bilous, associate professor of the Department of Psychology, and Valentina Kalenchuk, teacher of the Department of Psychology.
The 1st day of the meeting started with a comprehensive session dedicated to the training of psychologists in Latvia, conducted by Laura Pirsko, director of the master's program. The participants received important information about the structured way of training specialists - from bachelor's degree to obtaining a professional qualification. After that, a tour of the historical building of the University of Latvia was organized, which allowed to get acquainted with the rich academic heritage of the institution. In the afternoon, the participants visited the "Skalbes" crisis center, where they learned about the organization of telephone crisis assistance.On the 2nd day of the training meeting, Professor Baiba Martinsone shared her rich experience in two presentations: "Methods of psychological training and approaches for teacher training and professional development: promoting mental health in schools" and "Education of doctoral students". After a tour of the House of Nature and the House of Science, the participants visited the "Children's House" at the Children's Clinical University Hospital, where they got acquainted with the provision of psychological assistance and support to children who have suffered from violence, as well as with the process of conducting examinations.
On the 3rd day of the educational visit within the framework of the ERASMUS+ BURN project, our colleagues had the opportunity to observe the bachelor's course "Basic counseling skills" at the Faculty of Pedagogical Sciences and Psychology of the University of Latvia. The classes were conducted by experienced psychologists Anda Haytniece-Putane and Alla Plaude, who introduced teaching methods and approaches for psychology students.
Also on this informative day, a productive meeting was held with Anda Apmane, the director of the bachelor's program, who spoke in detail about the course structure, teaching methods, tasks and assessment strategies for the key subjects of the program, in particular "Learning communication skills" and "Basic counseling skills". In addition, the participants of the visit visited the university library.
On the 4th day, the seminar "Building teams for course development" was held under the leadership of Laura Pirsko, Anda Apmane and Ieva Stockenberg. During the seminar, the teachers determined further steps for cooperation in the development of educational disciplines, which will be introduced within the framework of the ERASMUS+ BURN project.In the second half, our colleagues visited the safe childhood center "Dardedze", which deals with the prevention of violence and provides psychological assistance to victims. In addition, they got acquainted with the "Jimba" security program.
On the 5th day of the study visit, the specialists took part in a seminar devoted to the methods of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for working with trauma. The seminar was conducted by the clinical supervisor, Professor Ieva Bait, who shared practical approaches to the therapy of traumatic experiences. The visit ended with a reflective session, during which the main knowledge gained was summarized and prospects for further cooperation were discussed. The exchange of experience and knowledge gained during the visit aims to strengthen psychological resilience and support well-being initiatives in Ukraine, in line with the mission of the BURN project.
Ruslana Bilous, teacher of the project, assistant professor of the Department of Psychology and Valentina Kalenchuk, teacher of the project, teacher of the Department of Psychology of Kherson State University, received certificates of participation in the educational meeting.
This is an important professional exchange and a significant contribution to the restoration and strengthening of the mental health of Ukrainian society.